Timestop
by 12Marcia02
Summary: This story is set about a year after Fyre. Marcia invites Marcellus to the mysterious Encounter and shows him the powers of Timestopping.
1. Chapter 1

**Timestop**

Chapter 1:

 _DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Septimus Heap series and its characters._

* * *

"I still need some authorisations for the **Conference** and I think Stephen has been looking for you because of the seating order."

"Goodness, I've already **Copied** the order and **Sent** it to his message box. If for once he checked it up …"

"If for once he found out how it worked…"

"Stop annoying me, John. I'm supposed to have the _**Encounter**_ all ready till Thursday, the Queen wants to update me on her so very helpful Queen book – or however she calls it – tomorrow and I for sure will need all of my strength to survive my meeting with our dear old Castle Alchemist. So if you're finished with holding me back…"

"I'm already gone."

"And be punctual the next time!" – With that he was up and gone the Spiral Staircase.

Marcia sighed. If she hadn't known him for ever, she would have to be constantly freaking out about him, but as times were, she had much more important stuff to do. She was just about to turn around and make her way across the Great Hall when a purple flickering caught her eye. It wasn't long and the ghost of her beloved ex-tutor, Alther Mella, fully **Appeared** next to her.

"The _**Encounter**_?", he asked, knowingly. He still remembered quite vividly the ups and downs of being ExtraOrdinary and he could tell be Marcia's facial expression that she was just about to get things ready for said event."

"Either that or the Cupboard Wizard Schedule? What do you think, Alther?", came the prompt response.

"No need to snap, Marcia. 775 ExtraOrdinaries have handled it, so you will, too. You just need to relax from time to time. It's really not that bad.", he tried to calm her – with no success, as he would find out right away.

"Times have changed, Alther. I really do value your support, but, frankly, it isn't getting me anywhere. Might be that during your term of office it wasn't that bad, as you put it, but people have higher demands nowadays and you know exactly that the occurrences on the _**Encounter** _ directly reflect back on the Wizard Tower and how it is perceived. And by the way, I remember a certain Ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard getting really agitated about it, too.", she said while heading for the big silver Entrance Doors. Quickly, she murmured the Password and slipped through the enlarging gap.

Standing at the top of the marble stairs, she took in a deep breath of early afternoon air and looked at Wizard Way which was spreading in front of her. She noticed that it was indeed a lovely spring afternoon and after having spent the most part of the day in rather boring meetings, she felt some kind of relief wandering through her bones. Maybe, she thought, Alther was right. About relaxing.

"Where are you going?"

Although she had known that he was floating right behind her, the sudden appearance of his voice made her flinch. She composed herself immediately though – as she always did – and answered his question.

"I need to go see Marcellus. I considered that as newly re-established Castle Alchemist he might want to attend the _**Encounter**_. See, Alther, I might not know much about Alchemy, but one can't argue that he does not work at his maximum. And I assume that means he does a good job."

Alther smiled. He knew that she would deny it at once and he knew that she was making a great effort to sound as annoyed as possible, but she did care. She had always cared – it was one of the reasons he had made her his Apprentice. He remembered it as if it had been just yesterday that he had asked her to his rooms. She had agreed at once and when he had seen that brilliant shimmering in her sparkling green eyes, he had known that she would be a great ExtraOrdinary – and she was.

Right now, though, those brilliant green eyes were looking at him expectantly in a slight undertone of petulance. She must have asked him something. Recently, he got distracted quite easily by thinking of the old times and according to Alice it wasn't getting any better. But he knew that she didn't mind and he himself rather enjoyed his "trips to the past", as he called them.

Still, he knew better than letting Marcia Overstrand wait.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I'm afraid, I have to admit I didn't hear your question. What is it?"

"If you want to come with me? Will you?"

On that he raised a ghostly eyebrow.

"Why would I?", he demanded and saw a constant feeling of offense rushing over his ex-Apprentices' features.

Quickly, he added, "I mean, do you need me for something special?"

"No, not really. It's just … Never mind.", she said, a bit too subdued for her usually rather brusque air.

It was obvious that something burdened her, but he didn't dare ask, not just yet. He decided, though, that a bit of impulse wouldn't harm and meant: "He is really ok, Marcia. And he truly tries to fit in."

"Hmm…", was the only response he got.

* * *

Meanwhile an unusually delighted Alchemist was humming through his beloved home at Snake Slipway, which did look rather dilapidated from the outside, but was in reality buzzing with life from the inside. He had just finished his lessons to his new Apprentice, Simon Heap, and was now preparing everything for his two o'clock-tea. It was a dear tradition to him and had helped him, he remembered only too well, through four very lonely centuries.

But things were turning out well for him at last and now that he even had a new and especially very own Apprentice nothing in the world could go wrong any more. He was becoming more and more fond of Simon every day and though he had to admitted that there had been worried voices in his head telling him to keep to his own without an Apprentice, he was now glad he hadn't listened to them. Simon und Lucy Heap brought a breeze of fresh air into his house – actually one could even say they were reviving it with their adolescent mannerisms and there lovely new born son.

Marcellus had just put the kettle on when he heard an aggressive knocking coming from his front door. He knew at once who it was. And, also at once, he was annoyed with his visitor for that he had already asked her at least a million times to be careful with the precious dark cherry wood.

But he had no choice. She knew that there were really only two places he spent his time: his house and his magnificent Fyre Chamber. And he was sure that she would travel down to last one right away if he didn't open the door at some point soon. She would discover his absence in the Chamber, come back and …

Slowly, very slowly he made his way to the door. He listened to the crunching of the plank floor under his light steps and realised with dismay that it would be soon attacked by two purple, pointy python shoes.

He hadn't even opened the door fully when she was already striding towards his living room. Typical.

"It's nice to see you, too, Marcia.", he called after her, but – as usually – didn't get a response. One might want to think that an ExtraOrdinary knew how to behave politely, he thought, but he was far beyond acknowledging it as part of her character. There were times he still struggled with not getting too annoyed with her, but, then again, he did count her as one of his friends now.

He entered the living room and saw her fetching something from her belt. He could tell by its size that she must have **Shrunken** it. Hearing him coming in, she looked up.

"You're going to accompany me to the _**Encounter**_."

"The what?" Things would be much easier if she just tried to explain things to him instead of expecting him to know them naturally.

"The _**Encounter**_."

"The what?"

"Marcellus!

"What?"

Marcia let out a heavy sigh – a bit over-exaggerated in his opinion –, enlarged the object in her left hand with a flicking of her fingers and handed it over to him.

" _ **The Encounter**_ " he could see written in glittering letters on the cover page of what seemed to be an invitation. Sure, _thi_ s was helping him on.

He decided to try it with all of his kindness and explained: "Marcia, I am sorry to say, but I do _not_ know what this _**Encounter**_ you are inviting me to is nor have I ever heard about it. If you would please explain, I would be extraordinarily thankful."

Marcia looked at him in utter horror and, again, sighed. He made an imaginary note to point out that excessive sighing at her next visit, before wondering what on earth he had done wrong this time to deserve such a range of her emotions.

She herself though, just sat down, announcing: "I've expected the Castle Alchemist to know. Sit down. I'll explain."

And it was indeed perfect timing, because just then they could both hear the teakettle's whistling.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey, everybody! ;)_

 _So, this is the first chapter of my first fanfic. I'm not entirely sure yet where this is going,  
_

 _but I guess I'll figure out._

 _Also, English is not my native language, which means that there might be quite a few_

 _mistakes. Still, I hope that you understood most parts of the text. ;))_

 _Read & Review, please!_

 _12Marcia02_


	2. Chapter 2

**Timestop**

Chapter 2:

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Septimus Heap series or its characters.

* * *

"So, that's it basically."

Marcia ended her two hour-explanation with "So, that's it basically."

He couldn't believe it. She made it sound as though she had just told him how the Wizard Tower's floors were cleaned or something – he couldn't think of any other example right now – and not like the most magykal and mysterious thing he had ever heard in his whole life. Which indeed meant something as he for sure wasn't the youngest one walking this world. Five hundred years of life and this had passed by him? He was extremely astonished. In all honesty, he wouldn't have imagined that anybody could ever again make him feel naïve for deeming to have figured out how things worked.

"So I expect you to accept my invitation?"

It was no question. But Marcellus wasn't sure. He was still rather overwhelmed by the secret world she had just introduced him to and he felt like he should consider her invitation carefully.

She must have seen the concern in his eyes and to his utter surprise, she tried to calm him.

"Look, it is nothing to be afraid of. Honestly, my main concern is that I don't get Wizard Tower presentable till Thursday, but other than that…" And then, which surprised him even more, she put his hand into hers, and as he was just about to ask what exactly she was doing, he felt his eyes falling shut, his muscles relaxing to a point of absolute paralysis and his body collapsing against hers. It wasn't long and he was drifting away into another place, another time and, as he would realise later, into another one's memory.

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, he felt a strange nervousness rumbling through his stomach combined with something he was tempted to call anticipation, but he wasn't entirely sure. It was odd, though, because it didn't feel like any emotion he was used to. It was a strong one, he could tell. Which, too, didn't fit as he had a principle of not letting emotions control his actions and thoughts. However, these actions and thoughts, he found now, were prohibiting him access.

It was only when he looked down _his_ body that he realised what had happened – because instead of his black and red Alchemist robes he had expected to see he now looked at what must be the freshly washed, bright green robes of a Wizard Apprentice.

He tried to inspect his surroundings, but found that he could only observe what his **Host** was observing. He recalled how to his actual life time his once dearest friend and now Ex-Extraordinary Wizard Julius Pike had taught him about magykal **MemoryTransfering** , but considered that this was different. When he had gone through his first experience with a transferring spell it had felt to him as though he was seeing everything from a high above platform, as though he was hovering above the situation like a long forgotten ghost waking over the living.

Right now he felt captivated – not in the bad way, he guessed, but he couldn't quite choose his actions. He did have insight to his _own_ thoughts; however, there was more to it. It wasn't that he controlled her like one of Ephania's machines, he rather felt the superficial flows of her thinking leaking over to him and affecting him? But he didn't get any further as he was interrupted by a well-known and still far away sounding voice.

"Marcia, you're ready? Can we go?"

Then, Alther Mella appeared. Not the ghost, but a younger version of him, with dishevelled dark grey hair and evolving laughter lines around his eyes. He aimed the living room with slightly hasty steps which was, Marcellus now discovered, very much _his_ living room.

The thick, deep purple curtains were drawn aside the most possible and the light was flooding the room illuminating every corner. There were no such things as a seemingly far too expensive Chinese rug covering half of the floor, no, also far too expensive, collection of neatly arranged **Illusion** charms and, most importantly, no feeling of constant distress and outrage. Instead, this felt like a place to _live_. With dust lints floating through the air, cosy-looking blankets on the sofa and a feeling of contentment and happiness.

She jumped up from the sofa she had been sitting on.

A bit too fast in his opinion, it made him feel dizzy.

"Yes."

Her voice rang in his ears. Whereas Alther's had sounded as if it had just travelled all the way through the deep, wide ocean, hers had crept through his ear canals right inside his head and was now bouncing off and off the inside of his skull.

She took a few steps, two or three it must have been, and was no standing next to Alther.

Like getting seasick, it was like getting seasick.

Then he felt two surprisingly strong arms enveloping his body. Settling at the thinner area which was his waist, right above his hips. Or hers. Rather hers. For sure hers.

"Don't worry. You know that I'm going to look after you every second. You do, don't you?"

Where was this going? Should he cover his ears? Probably. Could he cover his ears? Probably not.

The embrace stopped.

Lucky him.

"I'm just nervous."

And she was. He could tell. He was, too. However, if it was because of the direction this conversation was taking or because of where or what they were heading for… It didn't matter, he guessed. Nothing could happen to him, could it?

Next thing he saw was a cloud of tiny purple lightnings mixed with dazzling flashes of pure light … and then a door. Nothing special, really. Just a plain, brown door as it could be found almost everywhere in the Wizard Tower.

"Together?"

She nodded. They put their hands against the wood. To Marcellus, the touch felt like holding a numb hand against an ice block.

The incantation started.

"This door it is wrong,

We need it removed,

The key to **Time**

It is our proof.

 **Time** is the key,

The key it is ours,

Take it or take it,

We can wait hours.

Hours don't matter,

We are the endless,

 **Time** is the master,

 **Time** it is endless.

Fear our powers,

You are the weaker,

Give up, give up,

Don't vex the **Keeper**.

 **Time** it will take

Your strength and your will.

Will you keep up?

It knows how to kill.

…"

They went on and on. Their Magyk starting to surround them, to fill the spaces between their words, to flood their bodies. Marcellus **Felt** it. He **Felt** the Magyk – _her_ Magyk. How it spread through her body leaving a tingling sensation which grew with every word of the spell making it almost impossible not to succumb to the growing feeling of happiness. Nearly unbearable happiness which infiltrated her blood, her muscles, her bones, which pumped her up with power, made her heart race with doubled speed, gave her total and absolute satisfaction.

Was this what it meant to be a Wizard? To _live_ Magyk? It certainly was how _she_ understood it, why _she_ became ExtraOrdinary.

And then it was over. All of a sudden. Without warning.

Marcellus very nearly threw up or he would have if he could. It was too much. He wasn't used to this. It was more than being overwhelmed, he was overchallenged. Too many feelings, too much Magyk, too much … everything.

He wanted away, any place, he didn't care. Escape, he thought, you need to escape. But how? Was he trapped? Trapped in this …?

A room. He was in a room. Without corners, but not round. Oval, it was oval. And there was a table, a big, oval table. It was white, he noticed. _Everything_ was white: the floor, the walls … the ceiling? She didn't look up. It didn't matter.

And then there were people. Around the table. Chatting with each other, eating. Eating? He saw no plates. Maybe not eating. But they were talking. Talking about what? They were too quite. No, _they_ were too far away. Why didn't she move? He wanted to, he needed to know what they were saying. It was important. He knew it. It was …

* * *

"… important!" Two amused green eyes were inspecting him. Him who was sitting on _his_ sofa, back bolt upright, eyes widened.

It took him some moments to come back totally. Soon after, tough, he turned around, looked her right into the eyes and grinned.

"So we're having a date?"

At that she laughed.

* * *

A/N: Hey,

I hope you like this chapter.

Just wanted to say that I probably won't be able to update the next three weeks because I'm going to be abroad. ;))

Have a nice time.

12Marcia02


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